Q is for Quarry REWRITTEN
by TTigerz
Summary: The Knights are failing against Kadma. Is she invincible? Or is this a bigger plan of Nerissa? The Heart is cooping with feelings and Cornelia is finally convinced. Zafyra and Will seem to grow closer again and Taranee is suspicious of Tony Vandom's fiancé. Will the Guardians stop Nerissa from adding Kadma to her team, or will they fail?
1. Part 1

**Q is for Quarry REWRITTEN**

**Part 1**

Fire rained down on the only stone building in all of Zamballa. The reason for that? The Knights of Destruction were trying to weaken Queen Kadma, though with little success. Every attack Ember fired was easily parried by the Queen and so the others decided to help, as it had been Nerissa's order to make the fight as believing as possible. Shagon shot at Kadma, while Ember tried to fire another fireball at the Queen, though Shagon's attack completely missed, thanks to which Kadma had enough time to see and block Ember's attack. Khor tried a sneak attack but Kadma rose a wall to stop him and hide herself from long ranged attacks. Tridart flew up and shot his ice beams at the Queen, which seemed to work.

Zafyra shot at glance at Shagon, who didn't seem to be paying attention, and sighed annoyed. She then gestured the others to surround Kadma and they all prepared a new attack, only for Kadma to dodge it by teletransporting out of the ice. Roots reached for the Knights and bound them, making them wriggle in their place.

"Are you really the best Nerissa has to offer?" Kadma questioned as she came floating down on a big purple leaf. "We are told your powers are only fuelled by fear and negative emotions. Fighting us, you must be running on empty."

Zafyra looked up, seeing a cocky smile on Kadma's face. She tried to teletransport out of the roots, but found those powers were blocked. She growled inwardly and again looked at Shagon, who didn't even seem to notice that vines were strangling him. She was actually worried about him and it slightly annoyed her.

"You do seem to have too much fun for me to stomach." Zafyra muttered annoyed.

She focused on her powers and used her lightning on the vines, only to see that her attack was conducted to the ground.

"Shagon!" She snapped. "Snap out of it!"

Shagon seemed to return to Earth and looked bewildered around him. He used his eyebeams to cut himself loose from the vines. Just before the vines could reach for him again, he raised his hand, showing that he was wearing the Sorcerer's ring now.

"Nerissa! Save your knights!" He said.

As if she'd heard him, Nerissa teletransported behind Kadma. Kadma glanced back, knowing Nerissa was standing there. She smirked while returning her attention to the Knights.

"Are you finally ready to fight your own battles, old friend?" Kadma said smugly.

Nerissa merely glared at the former Earth Guardian.

"Not yet, Kadma." She said before raising the Heart of Meridian.

She teletransported the Knights away and quickly followed after them. Kadma merely floated in the air.

"But soon Nerissa." Kadma said smugly. "Soon..."

_Stone quarry, Zamballa_

The Knights arrived in the quarry, where Ember angrily threw a fireball at the ground.

"We were soundly defeated." She said. "Kadma must be very proud of herself."

Nerissa came walking and slowly retreated to the cave in the quarry.

"Then everything is going according to plan." She said with a smirk. "But now, rest. Kadma's ego is almost at the point I want her to."

The Knights nodded and watched how Nerissa retreated. Ember's eyes went to Shagon, who still seemed to be in a daze but the moment she saw Zafyra, she turned around and walked to Tridart. She'd learned her lesson and was now less prone to taunt the other Angel of malice.

Zafyra saw Ember walking away and grinned behind her mask. At least she'd learned her lesson. Her gaze went back to Shagon. He'd been out of it ever since the Guardians stopped their first plan. Her host had calmed down and told her that she and Matt had talked and Zafyra had the feeling that whatever her host and Matt had discussed, was what was troubling Shagon now.

"Shagon?" She asked, getting his attention.

Shagon looked at her and shook his head gently. He motioned for her to follow him and flew away. Zafyra felt a moment of annoyance before taking off after him, not bothering to answer to Tridart's or Ember's protests. They flew a bit away from the camp and hovered between the trees, hoping not to be spotted.

"What's wrong with you lately?" Zafyra asked annoyed. "You've been this strange ever since the Guardians intercepted our first plan!"

"Do you think Nerissa is using us?" Shagon said, interrupting Zafyra's rant.

Zafyra sighed. They'd discussed this a lot of times before. Though ever since the Guardians had foiled the mistress's first plan, Zafyra had started to doubt once again. Nerissa had shown a different side when the plan was foiled. A side Zafyra, and Zafyra alone, seemed to faintly remember. The manipulative side that turned her once against Will.  
Next to the fact that her host had been speculating out loud what Nerissa was planning to do with the former Guardians. They were too old to fight the current generation. One of them was even dead. So why did Nerissa collect them?

"I don't know..." She finally uttered, now once more thinking about the arguments her host had been saying. "But we're human beings...In a way. So we're not using her life energy..."

Shagon chuckled a bit.

"Strange. I thought you would say that the only path would be the mistress's path, like last time." He said.

"Yeah, well times change." Zafyra snapped back, getting annoyed.

"Don't you think that... She will use our own life energy to make the old generation younger?" Shagon then said, hesitating with every word.

Zafyra growled softly, remembering how her host had started to blabber the same nonsense. But Nerissa wouldn't kill them, right? They were loyal to her. Not like Cassidy back in the day. She shook her head, random thoughts popping up or fading away. Her mind was a mess now and it didn't help with her host creating an even bigger one.

"I don't know, Shagon!" She said annoyed. "I'll just follow her until I find out otherwise! And I suggest you do the same."

With that she flew away, her thoughts going rampant.  
Shagon watched as she went and sighed. For the first time he felt threatened by his own thoughts.

_*I suggest following her advice.*_

_Shagon turned to look at his host, who had his arms crossed and a pensive look on his face._

_*Your former suggestion was to ask her.* Shagon replied annoyed. * And that didn't help either.*_

_Matt shook his head._

_*It did. The last time you asked her, she truly believed in Nerissa. But now she was doubting. You could hear it in her voice. Which means that she isn't so sure about her allegiance to Nerissa.*_

_Shagon grumbled, not intending to tell his host that he thought the same. He'd actually hoped his host would deny his thoughts, not affirm them. He sighed._

_*Fine. I'll wait.* He said grumpily, getting a grin from Matt. *But don't think this will continue!*_

_Matt shrugged, walking away unharmed, without Shagon shooting at him._

_*Well I think we're making progress.* He said. *See ya later bro.*_

_With that he vanished._

_Tony Vandom's apartment building, pool, Heatherfield._

Water. One of the five elements that created her and one of her favourites. Here in the water she could come to rest, sort out her thoughts and think of a plan. A sad feeling filled her when she realized her Keeper felt the same about the element.

She made a powerful stroke and turned in the pool, losing count of the rows she made. Her thoughts kept drifting to her Keeper. What had Nerissa done to her? Where was she now? And why did she get such strange vibes from Zafyra?

Those thoughts had been spooking in the Heart's head for quite some time and even the water couldn't help her clear them out. Things weren't adding up. She knew Nerissa was hunting the previous generation, which meant that she was planning on using the life force of both her Keeper as her boyfriend to make the older generation young again. But Kadma was now on Zamballa and according to Caleb, Will was not on Mt. Thanos. And the Heart couldn't think of another place to imprison the Keeper, for hiding her on other planets would be strange and perhaps even stupid, for if the Keeper was freed, she may find yet another planet to create an alliance with against Nerissa.

The Heart took a breath and as she looked over the water, she saw the Keeper's father swimming as well. She then remembered he'd asked her for a race. She halted near the edge of the pool and grinned as Will's father slowly made it to the same edge.

"Will Vandom wins!" She yelled at him, knowing he'd expect something like that. "No contest. Only one question remains. Will the pool evaporate before Tony Vandom finishes the race?"

Will's father came to a halt next to her.

"Hey, I'm not that slow." He said with a grin.

"I know." The Heart answered, getting the same cocky feeling her Keeper would feel as well. "I am just sooo fast."

"Your times are incredible." Tony Vandom agreed. "You know, I haven't forgotten that my little girl dreamed of swimming in the Olympics."

The Heart looked down, again regretting that she was the one hearing the praise for something her Keeper should receive.

"Yeah..." She said, almost downhearted.

She then noticed the strange look Tony was giving her and quickly hit it with an awkward smile.

"Dream's still there." She said. "But right now, I'm just happy to spend some quality time alone with my dad."

'With my Keeper's dad.' She corrected herself in her mind, regretting she ever said yes to joining him in the pool.

Tony Vandom gave her now an awkward smile in return.

"Yeah, alone..." He said awkwardly. "Uhh.. See that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

'Will' heard footsteps and turned her head, looking straight at a darker skinned woman with long brown hair. The woman smiled gently at her, while 'Will' smiled in return before turning back to Tony.

"Dad, it's okay." She said slightly confused. "I know this isn't your own personal private pool."

"Hi." The unknown woman said, again gaining the attention of the two in the pool.

"Ah, you're a...You're early." Tony said, making 'Will' look confused at him.

"But we said..." The woman said, clearly a bit confused as well. "Never mind..I'll come back later."

"No no no no! Just..." Tony said as he helped himself out of the pool and stopping the woman.

"Uhm.. What's going on?" 'Will' asked confused, looking at her, Will's, father.

"Uhm.. I guess that I...Lost track of time." Tony said, reaching the woman and smiling at her. "But I..I.. Will, this is Serena Sanchez. She's my friend... Uh, girlfriend. Fiancé. We're getting married."

No. No, no, no, no, no! She could not cope with this. Not now her Keeper, the one who should actually worry about this, was not even here! How could this man spring a fiancé on her while she was worrying about her Keeper like this! For just a second the idea sprang to mind that this Serena could also be Nerissa, but with a quick energy check did she find out that Serena was just an ordinary human.

Her face must have shown a shocked expression, because Tony looked rather uncomfortable. Serena seemed willingly to try and recover some of the damage Tony did and the Heart actually felt troubled. Should she be happy for Will's father or not? She didn't really feel like smiling. Crying was more near the surface now.

"Hi Will." Serena said friendly. "I've really been looking forward to meeting the other woman in Tony's life."

'Will' did smile at Serena, hopefully looking happy, but on the inside she was a mess. She needed to get out. To get away. Just away. She took a dive and swam to the other side of the pool, getting out as quickly as possible.

"Will... I didn't mean to blindside you, really." She heard Tony say.

'Will' gritted her teeth, trying to stay in control of her emotions. All of them. She dried herself with the towel, while trying to formulate sentences.

"No... It's just..." She muttered. "I-I have to get going. I'm sorry."

She took the bag and glanced at the crystal, at herself, for mere moments, hoping to get the same tranquillity she so often gave to her Keeper.

"O-Okay." Tony said, walking over to 'Will' and making her stop for a moment.

'Will' looked up, trying to keep the tears from her eyes.

"But we all get together soon, right?" He said.

The Heart felt another jab of pain when he said that. He meant her Keeper and the two of them, not her. Her Keeper was missing her life and she was faking it. She was failing. It was true the Keeper had to protect the Heart, but the Heart should do the same for her Keeper.

"Sure dad." She said though she looked away. "And it was nice to meet you to..uhm.."

The name of the woman had escaped her mind, because the only name which kept repeating itself in her head was 'Nerissa'. Because Nerissa had taken her Keeper away. Because it was her fault Nerissa became that way. All because she longed for some contact. And because of her own trivial need, she didn't only bring one generation of Guardians in danger by accidentally making Nerissa crazy and killing Cassidy, but also bring her new Keeper, who had been trying to contact her for so long, in great danger.

"Serena." Tony said, snapping the Heart out of her train of thoughts.

"Serena." 'Will' repeated. "Right."

She saw how her crystallized form shone for a brief moment, helping her remember that she was only a crystal, nothing more. But she was not the only one who'd noticed.

"Oh Will, what a lovely necklace." She praised. "Is it a family heirloom?"

A sudden shock filled her, but she then realized that Serena was merely interested as anyone else would be. A small grin spread on her face.

"You could...Say that yeah." She said, knowing that the Guardians were a family on their own.

Yeah, a family which she managed to break apart. Twice. New regret filled her and she looked away, trying to keep her tears down.

"Will?" Tony asked concerned.

"I need to go now." 'Will' said. "Hay Lin asked me to help her with some homework. Bye!"

She didn't even look back and dashed away, her tears now freely flowing down her cheeks.

_Silver Dragon, Heatherfield_

Hay Lin had seen the face of the Heart and had let her in. Cornelia was already in the basement, but Irma and Taranee were late. When she'd seen the tear-streaked face, she had asked the Heart what had happened, but the Heart only shook her head and asked drearily if she could get some water. With a heavy heart Hay Lin gave her the water. After which the Heart had asked her to go and fetch Taranee and Irma. Hay Lin wanted to protest, saying that they could also be contacted telepathically, but the Heart's begging eyes had convinced her to go. Perhaps the Heart wanted to have a talk with Cornelia.

The Heart watched as Hay Lin left before walking into the basement. Perhaps it was strange for her to ask advice of the only person who never believed in her or in magic, but she was also the only one with experience about this, so the Heart hoped Cornelia could help. As she entered the basement she heard the annoyed sigh of the Earth Guardian.

"Hay Lin, that took you some...time...?"

'Will' looked at Cornelia, who looked surprised at her. This was the first time Cornelia had seen Will's face like this, tear-streaked and broken. It was a strange sight to see, because Will normally looked serious or humorous, but never broken. She didn't show that emotion. And Cornelia couldn't believe she'd actually thought that Will didn't have that emotion. It took her a couple of seconds to remember that she was looking at the embodiment of the Heart, which made it only feel more surreal. The Heart had shown emotions like anger, but she'd always said that those would have been Will's own feelings. So why was she crying now? Had something happened?

"Heart?" Cornelia asked with a quivering voice, not sure what to say.

The Heart gave her a quivering smile and went to sit on a stool, a cup of water firmly clenched in between her hands.

"What happened?" Cornelia asked, knowing that there was a reason for the Heart to act like this.

The Heart shrugged.

"It's nothing really." She said, her voice sounding so surreal. It was high-pitched yet and did not sound like Will's at all. "I only found out that my Keeper's father is engaged."

Cornelia gasped in surprise, seeing that she hadn't known about it and she knew that it would have been a real shock for the real Will. She looked at 'Will', who kept glancing at her cup of water. Suddenly tears dripped into the cup and Cornelia looked right into the eyes of a lost girl, not into those of an all knowing being like before.

"Hea-"

"Is this how you felt?" The Heart suddenly asked, confusing Cornelia.

"What do you..."

"When Elyon was kidnapped." The Heart continued. "Did you feel this helpless? Did you often wonder that it should have been her who'd experienced it instead of you?"

Cornelia then realized that the Heart was breaking. It was truly missing Will, perhaps even more than she or the other girls did. It was strange to see a crystal missing somebody, but then again. Cornelia had seen it act like a real human being and she no longer thought of the Heart as just a piece of jewellery with some nice tricks. More like a soul, who know felt terribly lost.

"Heart...I ..." Cornelia said concerned, wondering if she should hug her or not.

The Heart clasped her head with one hand and more tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I don't know it anymore." She sobbed. "I'm lost. This is the first time my Keeper disappears for so long. I'm scared that I killed her for just choosing her to be my Keeper! I can't seem to do anything right! I'm more of a harbinger of doom than a crystal of bala..."

Cornelia couldn't take it anymore. She didn't care if she would literally hug a crystal. This girl needed support and she would help her, not caring that she was no actual person. She took the Heart into a hug, making her spill the water from her cup. Cornelia could feel how the tears were wetting her light blue sweater.

"Calm down." She whispered soothingly. "I know how you feel. This is the second time for me."

The Heart cried in her, accepting the support Cornelia gave her. Cornelia felt tears coming up as well. If the Heart was starting to lose hope, then how could she keep it? She remembered when Elyon had been kidnapped. She'd been in a major fight with Will, who in the end apologized and asked her to return. And whenever she felt hopeless, Will would give her an encouraging smile, telling her things would end well.

"Do you know how I got over it?" She asked gently, smiling as she remembered Will's determined face.

The Heart shook her head. Cornelia grabbed the shoulders of the girl and looked right into her eyes. She could see that the Heart truly hoped that she could soothe the pain and the uneasiness.

"Will told me that everything would be alright." Cornelia said, though more tears came in the eyes of the Heart.

"But she's not here!" The Heart bellowed, semi angrily.

Cornelia shook her head.

"That's true, Will's not here at the moment." She said, sounding sad as well. "But do you know why I, or any of the other girls haven't broken down yet?"

"Because I give you the false security." The Heart muttered, angered with herself. "Because when you see me, you think you see my Keeper."

"Yes, but not because of your appearance." Cornelia admitted. "But because we can feel her."

The Heart looked quite shocked at Cornelia. She'd always thought that only the Keeper could feel the bond between the Guardians. Not that the others could feel it as well.

"Will told us that she could feel us and that was what made her strong during battles." Cornelia explained. "And now that I think about it, I never felt alone, even if I was sent out. Because I knew Will and the others were always near."

The tears had stopped and Cornelia had thought the Heart would feel better when new tears fell down. Had she made it worse?

"Thank you." The Heart whispered. "I'd forgotten the bond."

Cornelia took her again into a hug.

"Don't worry." She said to the Heart as well as herself. "I'm sure Will's safe. She's too stubborn to die without us."

The Heart let a choked out laugh and the two separated again. The Heart wiped her tears away and took the cup from the ground. The two sat down again and looked at each other. Cornelia gave her an encouraging smile, to which the Heart responded with a similar one. They sat like that in silence and waited for Hay Lin to return with Taranee and Irma.

_Stone quarry, Zamballa_

_Will's heart had been aching a lot and even tears had formed in her eyes, yet she couldn't understand why. She'd been hiding from Zafyra, not wanting to get taunted because of it, and had been wondering why she felt so hopeless, so powerless. But there was also a fear inside her. A fear she could not understand._

_*What's wrong with you?*_

_Will got up and wiped her tears hastily away. She then turned to Zafyra but she noticed something strange. A few water drips fell down Zafyra's chin and Will looked incredulous at her. There was no facial expression, but Will had the feeling she could see the same strange feelings in Zafyra's eyes._

_*What's wrong with you?* Will countered, but Zafyra merely shrugged._

_*Nothing.* She replied. *I was just preparing to continue with Nerissa's plan..*_

_*To get us killed.* Will finished annoyed._

_*How'd you know?* Zafyra snapped back, equally annoyed. *You always yap about that.*_

_*You know it's true!* Will countered. *Nerissa has killed Cassidy and even went that far to break a taboo and get Cassidy's soul back to this plane! And you've seen her after the Guardians foiled her first plan. She set the forest on fire!*_

_*So?* _

_*That forest is the same as a gigantic city. And the talking trees are its inhabitants. She was planning to commit a genocide for the Heart of Zamballa!* Will said angrily. *Why would she keep us alive?*_

_*To use us as a battery.* Zafyra muttered shocked, though it was too soft for Will to hear._

_*What?* She asked._

_*Keep it down squirt!* Zafyra snapped back, feeling once again terribly confused._

_Who could she trust? Why did she even bother to converse with her host? Why was she doubting?_

"Zafyra, the mistress wants to explain the plan again."

Zafyra looked at Shagon, who was waving his hand in front of her eyes. She stopped him and sighed irritated.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming." She told him.

"Got you at a wrong moment?" He asked her.

Zafyra merely shook her head and walked towards the cave. Shagon sighed deeply annoyed, wondering why women were this difficult.

_Silver Dragon basement, Heatherfield._

Taranee, Irma and Hay Lin had entered to find Cornelia and the Heart sitting calmly in silence. They noticed the wet spot on Cornelia's sweater, but she told them that the Heart had tripped and accidentally spilled the water over her sweater. As Irma helped Cornelia from the wet spot and Hay Lin sighed in relief, for she'd told both Taranee and Irma that she'd thought something bad was going on with the Heart because of how she looked before she left, Taranee stayed suspicious. The Heart noticed it but gave her a small shake of the head, telling her she could ask her question later.

"Heart, how come you looked so sombre when you arrived?" Hay Lin asked, getting the attention of the rest.

'Will' shrugged and smiled a bit.

"My Keeper's father got engaged and I had to act my way out of it." She lied, though there was an evident reaction on the faces of the Guardians.

"He got engaged?" Taranee gasped. "Will's gonna freak!"

"Wow! Nightmare thought here!" Irma said with a gasp. "Caleb said his dad got tricked into falling for Nerissa. What if Will's dad..."

"Do not even continue." The Heart said, interrupting Irma's doomsday prediction. "I already checked. There is no magical presence around Serena."

"Remember when Will had convinced us that Collins was some beast of Phobos?" Hay Lin said with a giggle.

"We nearly W.I.T.C.H.'ed the guy into a hospital." Cornelia said as she shook her head.

The rest sighed, all knowing very well that Will wasn't there with them. The Heart scanned their faces. Even though they all looked sad, they also looked reassured. Did they really have such trust in their leader? A smile graced her face. Perhaps she'd finally chosen a great Guardian team.

Though her attention had gone once again to the Fire Guardian. She saw a suspicious look on her face and wondered what she was thinking. She could simply go and read the Guardian's mind, but ever since she had gone posing for her Keeper, she'd learnt that peeking into the minds of others was not exactly tolerated. Perhaps she would find out later on.

"By the way Irma, Serena couldn't be Nerissa." Hay Lin said, gaining the attention of all but Taranee. "We know she's on Zamballa now, hunting former Guardians like Queen Kadma and grandma... Right Heart?"

"Right." 'Will' confirmed. "And it's better if we fold there now. And next time, be on time."

The last sentence was directed to Taranee and Irma, who gave her an awkward smile in return. 'Will' took the crystal out and raised it.

"Guardians unite!"

After the transformation 'Will' immediately folded to Zamballa, where Caleb, Blunk, Yan Lin, Ironwood and Queen Kadma welcomed them. Cornelia immediately ran at Caleb as Hay Lin hurried to her grandmother.

"You okay here grandma?" She asked concerned.

Yan Lin smiled fondly at her granddaughter.

"Kadma is a wonderful hostess," She said with a smile. "but she can't cook worth beans. She can't even cook beans."

The last part was whispered, getting a snigger from her granddaughter. The Heart went to Kadma to get the latest news.

"Any news on Nerissa?" She asked.

"Her knaves attacked but they were no match for us." Kadma answered, though it was clear she saw no authority in the Heart.

In fact, the Heart even wondered if Kadma actually believed she was the embodiment of the Heart. But then again, Kadma had always been stubborn in what she believed. Even more so than the current Earth Guardian was.

"Still Nerissa won't rest until she has captured and corrupted Yan Lin and our self." Kadma continued, before turning to the other Guardians as well. "We must turn the tables and make Nerissa the Quarry."

"Spring our own trap! I like that." Irma said with a grin. "Cause all this being hunted by evil minions is getting old."

The Heart nodded as well, agreeing that perhaps it was time to hunt Nerissa down and find her Keeper.

"Will has the Heart of Kandrakar." Kadma said, clearly telling the rest that she had a hard time believing them. "We have the Heart of Zamballa."

"Which means we've got two Hearts." Taranee said with a nod. "Which means we've got the advantage."

"We can free Elyon if we do this right." Cornelia said with a glimmer in her eyes. "And get that old hag to tell us where Will is."

"And Matt." Hay Lin added.

"We're in." The rest chorused, all holding hope in their eyes.

Ironwood placed her hand around Yan Lin, surprising Hay Lin in the act and looking defensive at the big tree.

"My arboreal warriors will protect Yan Lin while you search." Ironwood said calmly.

"And you don't mess with the foliage around here." Irma added, persuading Hay Lin to come with them instead of guarding her grandmother.

"Okay... Then I'm in too." She said, though still hesitating.

"Blunk in too...Arrgh!"

Before Blunk could actually get the attention, he was pulled away by Taranee, who took him apart.

"Actually Blunk, I've got a special job for you." She whispered to him. "I need you to spy on the fiancé of Will's father. I don't trust her. The chance is just too high."

Blunk nodded and saluted before running to the Heart.

"Uh...Leader lady. Can Blunk go to Earth? Blunk want treasures." He asked, getting a gentle smile from the Heart.

She nodded and opened a fold for him, leading right into the dumpster across the Silver Dragon. Blunk jumped into it and managed to fish out an old coat and detective hat.

"Blunk P.U. ... Uh. P.I. Always get his man... Uh... Woman." He said as he placed the hat on his head. "And look good doing it too."

_**[A/N] End of part 1. So...Never thought this would happen, huh? I actually never gave you even a glimmer of the Heart being afraid she would lose her Keeper forever, or that the Heart apparently has something to do with Nerissa going crazy. Will we get more answers? Perhaps we will. Also, Zafyra seems to be doubting again. But why did she have a reaction to the Heart, just like Will? Something strange is going on here. That's for sure.  
On to part 2!**_


	2. Part 2

**Part 2  
**

Back on Zamballa, the Heart had walked to Taranee right after closing the fold.

"Anything wrong, Fire Guardian?" She asked suspiciously.

Taranee smiled sweetly at her.

"Oh, I threw something away I shouldn't have and asked Blunk to find it for me." She lied. "Nothing more."

'Will' looked suspicious at her, but Taranee kept on smiling. She then nodded and walked away after Queen Kadma, who'd gone to a spot where she could ask Zamballa about Nerissa's whereabouts. The others had followed her as well and as 'Will' and Taranee arrived they found them all standing on a hill, with Kadma on top of it.

"Earth Guardian. Approach." Kadma said in her regular regal tone.

Cornelia glanced at the Heart, who nodded encouragingly. She then looked at Caleb, who smiled at her. She then walked up to Kadma and went to stand next to her.

"We will school you to commune with the vegetation of this world. On Earth we call this green speaking." Kadma explained.

"Yeah, I can see how purple speaking doesn't have the same ring." Cornelia joked, though it did not seem to be accepted by her predecessor.

"Concentrate child." Kadma admonished. "Every plant on the planet will aid our search."

Cornelia blushed slightly after being scolded and then copied Kadma, who'd closed her eyes and listened.

"Heart of Zamballa, fuel our power over the land. Help us, to hear all our loyal subjects." Kadma said as she raised the Heart of Zamballa.

The crystal glowed brightly and Cornelia heard a barrage of whispers coming her way, yet she managed to distinguish each one of them. The two of them stood still for a while, sometimes murmuring in return.

"Yeah that really helps. Thanks." Cornelia said before opening her eyes. "Love to the wife and pots."

"What's the word?" 'Will' asked, getting Cornelia out of her trance.

"Nerissa and her Knights have just arrived in the swamps of Shinay." Cornelia replied, turning her attention to her fellow Guardians, Caleb and Kadma.

"Then we must greet them." Kadma said as she raised the Heart of Zamballa.

The light of teletransportation followed and the group disappeared. They reappeared in the swamps, neatly behind of Nerissa and her Knights. Nerissa recognized the sound and turned her head.

"How?" She snarled.

"Nerissa. There is no place on Zamballa you can hide from us." Kadma said regally.

"And no you can beat us." Taranee added. "Two Hearts to one."

"Advantage, us!" Irma said triumphant.

The Guardians opened attack on Nerissa and the Knights. 'Will' shooting at Nerissa, making her fall to the ground. Kadma made roots come up and root Shagon and Zafyra to the ground, getting curses from the two. Khor tried to do a side attack, but Cornelia simply raised an earth wall and blocked his attempt while Caleb went and kicked him to the ground. Irma took the water of the swamp and went to douse Ember, who screamed in agony and Taranee easily burnt Tridart, who was making an attempt to run away.

Shagon used his eyebeams to break himself and Zafyra out of the vines, but as the two made an attempt to fly, Hay Lin created a tornado, hurling the two back to the ground.

"That'll teach them to stalk my grandma!" Hay Lin said angrily.

_*Note to self. Hay Lin is very protective when it concerns her family.* Will said impressed as she watched Zafyra crawl back up._

_*Sounds familiar, doesn't it?* Zafyra said before turning her back to Will again._

_Will looked surprised at Zafyra, wondering if she'd been sneering or if it was a genuine compliment. She decided to put it aside and watch on, knowing she couldn't do much to save her friends._

"This is so not our day." Shagon muttered darkly as he got his face out of the mud.

"Perfect." Nerissa said, though only loud enough for the Knights to hear.

A new light of teletransportation blinded the swamp and as it faded, Nerissa and the Knights did too.

"They escaped!" 'Will' said annoyed.

She couldn't believe that the chance to find her Keeper just slipped through her fingers. Perhaps her only chance.

"They were outmatched." Kadma said as she hovered behind the Heart. "It's only a matter of time before Nerissa is ours. And we claim another Heart."

The group had landed already as Kadma said that, but it clearly made an impact. In fact, if they'd been flying now, they would have surely fallen from the sky out of surprise.

"Claim?" Cornelia and Caleb said concerned.

"You want to absorb the Heart of Meridian?" Taranee asked shocked.

"I will trust that the Heart of Kandrakar will know what is the wisest decision." Kadma said with a clear gaze on 'Will' as if to challenge her.

'Will' closed her eyes and thought deeply. It was true that the current Heart of Meridian wasn't very skilled and rather gullible, but that was to be expected from a child of fifteen years old. It had already surprised her that the Guardians could sometimes be so responsible. And there was still the danger that, if Nerissa had obtained the Heart of Meridian in an honest way, which she had according to Caleb's description of when he tried to steal it, then it would only be more dangerous to take the Heart away. All with all, it would be an irrational move to do so.

"And I will." 'Will' said, opening her eyes and looked straight at Kadma. "And I think it's better to take and break the jewel before Nerissa gets a chance to port it back to her."

"But it is common sense." Kadma countered, slightly annoyed. "Elyon lost the power of the Heart once. Clearly, even after she's rescued, she will require a regent. Someone can trust."

"That will be Queen Elyon's decision." 'Will' countered. "All she needs is training, which my Keeper, or you, can provide her. Taking the Heart would be wrong and you know that."

"All we know is that it is a danger to us and our friends." Kadma replied, her voice quivering near anger.

"Two Hearts, isn't that a bit too much power in one person's hands?" Taranee asked, getting a foul glare from Kadma.

"We know how to control these powers." Kadma said, once again in her regal tone. "These powers will be save with us, until Elyon has chosen a reliable regent."

"You've always been stubborn, but you have to listen to me." 'Will' tried to reason. "If you do that, you will only play into Nerissa's hands. She always knew how to get you to follow her."

Kadma scowled and raised her nose into the air, clutching the staff so tightly that her knuckles were getting white.

"We can do this the easy way, Guardian." Kadma said coolly. "Either you oblige to our rules, or you can leave and never put a foot on this planet again."

Now the Heart gritted her teeth and glared angrily at Kadma. She turned around and made a fold, getting gasps from the other Guardians.

"I shall oblige, Queen Kadma." 'Will' then said, though her voice was heavy with anger. "But know that Kandrakar will see to it once this is over."

'_Earth Guardian, can you remain here and try and talk her out of it?'_ 'Will' said telepathically to Cornelia.

With that she stepped through the fold. The other Guardians looked from the Heart to Kadma and back. They all sighed and stepped one for one through the fold. All, except for Cornelia.

"Aren't you going?" Caleb asked surprised. "You've got school tomorrow."

"I think it's better to stay here and try to stop a coming disaster than to go to school." Cornelia said, not letting Caleb or Kadma know that the Heart had given her a task.

Kadma nodded in approval.

"We see that you are one of the wiser Guardians. You do realize the importance of taking the Heart away from Nerissa, right?"

Cornelia gave her a weak smile, knowing that going straight against her would only lead to facing a brick wall. She had to find another way to get through to the hardhead which was her predecessor.

Kadma led her to the same hill as before, where she would watch as Cornelia improved her green speaking ability. Cornelia's last remaining thoughts before concentrating on her job, were all about just two things.

Where was Will and how could she crumble Kadma's wall?

_Silver Dragon basement, Heatherfield_

The remaining Guardians arrived in the basement. As the Heart closed the fold, Irma and Hay Lin looked around, slightly surprised.

"Where's our hardhead?" Irma questioned.

"I've asked her to stay behind." 'Will' replied calmly. "I think that she can talk her predecessor out of that absurd idea."

A short silence followed in which they heard the sound of hasty footsteps. The three girls turned around to find Taranee already on the stairs.

"Where are you going T?" Hay Lin asked.

"Uhm... Mom asked me to be home around now." Taranee lied. "Don't worry, I'll see you guys tomorrow."

With that Taranee sped away, leaving the other three slightly surprised. Irma shrugged in the end.

"Oh well." She said. "Can I eat here, Hay?"

Hay Lin nodded and looked questioningly at the Heart. The Heart bit unconsciously her lip as she considered the offer. Was she in the mood to face Will's mother after such a tragic moment with her father?

"Yeah, I'll stay too if that's fine." She then said, getting a grin from Hay Lin.

"Of course it's fine!" She said. "You're a friend of mine, right?"

The Heart looked a bit awkward at Hay Lin.

"You mean I look like a friend of yours, right?" She muttered in return.

Both Irma's as well as Hay Lin's eyes widened in surprise. They looked from each other to 'Will' and back. A new silence fell in the basement and the Heart felt a new pain throbbing in her chest, but she didn't know why. It was only natural that they wouldn't see her as a friend. She was just a crystal.

"You're being silly."

The Heart looked up in surprise. Hay Lin and Irma flashed her a grin, but she couldn't understand why.

"What?" She asked.

"Of course you're our friend!" Hay Lin said with a grin.

"You may look like Will, but we all know you're not her." Irma said. "You are just a unique person who happens to look like a friend of ours, but that doesn't mean that you can't be our friend as well."

'Will' smiled, the pain in her chest mysteriously fading away. The other two mirrored her smile and the three of them went upstairs. There was still some regret that the real Keeper couldn't be here, but the Heart was also happy that she could enjoy her meal with friends.

_In front of Tony's apartment, Heatherfield_

Taranee turned the final corner and saw a filthy coat sticking out from behind a pillar. She guessed it was her own little spy who was standing behind the pillar and she walked towards him.

"Blunk's client approach." She heard Blunk mutter. "Fierce, yet fragile. Happy, yet sad. Tall, yet short."

"Blunk...You do know you're narrating out loud, right?" Taranee asked hesitantly.

"Out loud, yet.. Only Blunk listen." Blunk said as Taranee went to stand on the other side of the pillar.

"Any clues?" Taranee asked. "Is she upstairs with Will's father?"

"Serena here!" Blunk said. "Blunk lose her for while, but Blunk know she come back. Oh yes. Like smell under Blunk's arms, they always come back."

The last comment made Taranee a bit green and she shook her head.

"Too much infor..."

Only then did she realize what Blunk had said.

"Wait a second. When did she disappear on you?" She then asked.

Blunk came from behind the pillar and went to stand with his left hand pointing upwards and his right hand pointing downwards to the right.

"Uhh. Blunk's little hand on seven?" Blunk replied.

"An hour ago?" Taranee gasped. "That's when Nerissa showed up in that Zamballan swamp!"

"Nerissa. Name haunt Blunk like double cheese pizza that got away."

"Blunk, you need to catch Serena in the act. Deglamouring or something..." Taranee said, thinking that the Heart may have been wrong.

"They put on whole layer of cheese and then, put on whole other layer. Melt Blunk P.I.'s cold heart." Blunk said, clearly not listening.

Taranee crouched in front of Blunk, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Stay on it Blunk. We're close." She said.

Blunk saluted.

"Blunk stick to her like pepperoni." He said, making Taranee sigh.

Why had she chosen for him to be her spy?

_Hill, Zamballa_

Cornelia had been listening for a few hours, yet the plants had not yet located Nerissa. She was becoming tired, not because of the strain but also because of the sometimes sneering comments from Kadma, whenever she did something wrong. Couldn't that woman understand she was new to this?

"You seem tired, child." Kadma said, snapping Cornelia again out of her concentration.

"I'm fine." Cornelia replied, perhaps a bit coldly.

A yawn escaped her and she heard Kadma snigger a bit. Anger rose inside of her, not liking that her predecessor thought so highly of herself, while so low about Cornelia.

'Am I going to end up like her? Or worse, do I act like that?' She thought, slightly concerned.

"Guardian, take a break. I'll take over from here."

Cornelia sighed annoyed and took a step back as Kadma came floating past her. She turned around and walked to Caleb, who smiled lovingly at her. She walked into his arms and he placed his arms around her in a protective fashion.

"I think you did great." He whispered in her ear, making her smile at him.

She sighed and slumped a bit against him, truly feeling exhausted. She could use a quick nap. Caleb put his coat around Cornelia and took her by her shoulders.

"You should rest. You want to be fit when we face Nerissa, won't you?" Caleb said as he courted her to the tree on the hill.

Cornelia nodded at him and the two went to the tree, Caleb sat down first and let Cornelia rest against him, so her wings wouldn't be a too big of a problem. Cornelia nestled her against Caleb's chest and started to feel drowsy. She wondered how the others were doing and if they had managed to mislead her parents and the principal.

"Guardian, do you believe in the Heart?"

Cornelia's eyes snapped open. She could hear Caleb's annoyed muttering, but she motioned him it was fine. Her eyes went to Kadma, who still had her back turned to her.

"What do you mean?" Cornelia asked.

"In our time, we've always been suspicious about the crystal." Kadma said calmly. "Even now, now we hold possession of the Heart of Zamballa, we have trouble to believe a crystal can possess emotions, or guide the Keeper."

Cornelia bit her lip. She knew what Kadma meant and if she had to be honest, she'd felt the same. Better said, if Kadma had asked her a couple of weeks ago, or if Will hadn't been kidnapped, she would have agreed. But not after she'd seen the Heart break down in front of her. And she could feel it, that the person who looked like Will was not Will at all.

"I... I know what you mean." Cornelia finally said.

"Then why do you..." Kadma continued, but Cornelia interrupted her.

"I had the same idea several weeks before." Cornelia said, making Kadma turn her head.

Cornelia noticed she'd received the full attention of the Queen and swallowed a bit. She felt Caleb's reassuring embrace and she turned her gaze back on her predecessor.

"I always rolled my eyes when Will mentioned the Heart. That it had helped her, or that it made her feel calmer. I never believed it." Cornelia said, a strange grin forming on her face. "But that changed several weeks ago."

"What are you talking about?" Kadma asked almost annoyed, though it also sounded as if she was eager to know more.

"Will got kidnapped by Nerissa." Cornelia said, her voice quivering a bit. "The Heart made an embodiment of itself, copying Will's appearance. At first I didn't want to believe it, but she acted so cold against us in the beginning. And after she controlled Will's emotions, she even seemed to show an even bigger disinterest in our activities. But... After today I don't think I would ever say that the Heart doesn't hold any emotions."

Kadma had been speechless for a while and shook her head when Cornelia had finished.

"You are mistaken. A magical item does not hold any feelings. It cannot shed any tears."

Cornelia got up abruptly, looking almost furious.

"Then tell me, can it shed water from the eyes? Because I wouldn't see any other explanation for the water spot that was on my sweater. It was blaming itself for Will's disappearance. It felt lost and helpless. I'd never seen Will cry, but a crystal? I'm pretty sure that the Heart of Kandrakar is more than a mere crystal with flashy tricks and I think both Will and Nerissa knew this! Why else would Nerissa kidnap Will?"

Tears were now in Cornelia's eyes and she could see a moment of shock on Kadma's face. But it quickly restored to the regular regal look. She turned around, her back now facing Cornelia. Cornelia thought she'd gone too far and turned her back to Kadma huffing in annoyance. She would never get through this woman. She was too stubborn for her own good.

"Nerissa told us...me the same, years ago."

Cornelia gasped and turned around again, but Kadma had her back still turned to Cornelia and Caleb. Caleb had gotten up as well and placed his hands on Cornelia, who leaned against him.

"She'd said the Heart was longing for human contact, but we... I'd thought Nerissa was just joking. A crystal couldn't long for such things." Kadma said, sounding a bit broken. "But when she'd attacked Cassidy I started to wonder. She'd been begging Cassidy for the Heart, claiming that it was lonely. And even now I'm wondering, did the Heart contact Nerissa? Was it the Heart who made Nerissa insane?"

"Is that why you don't want to listen to it?" Caleb said briskly. "Do you think it wants to corrupt you?"

Kadma remained silent and Caleb growled annoyed.

"You know...You're just..."

"She's not afraid it will corrupt her, Caleb" Cornelia interrupted. "She's afraid the Heart is trying to help Nerissa."

Caleb looked surprised from Cornelia to Kadma. Kadma had not reacted, but Caleb could somehow sense that Cornelia was right. He also took a moment to think about it. What if the Heart really preferred Nerissa over Will?

"I don't think so." Cornelia said, still looking at Kadma's back. "She was really lost. I think she doesn't even care about what may happen to the universe at this point. All she wants now is bringing Will back.

A new silence filled the space. Cornelia knew there was nothing more to discuss and led Caleb back to the tree. The two of them went to sit against the bark and slowly they fell asleep as Kadma listened to the trees.

Kadma closed her eyes, though she had trouble with focusing. Was the Earth Guardian right? Or was this a clever trick of the Heart? Her own heart now troubled, made it difficult for her to stay true to her beliefs. For what was the truth?

_Sheffield Institute, Heatherfield_

The next day the girls went to school. Hay Lin had called beforehand and with some instructions from the Heart, she'd managed to imitate the voice of Cornelia's mother and called in sick for Cornelia. The school day went without a problem and 'Will' now walked alone out of the school. Taranee, Hay Lin and Irma had a lesson less than 'Will' and Cornelia so they'd gone ahead to the Silver Dragon. All what was left was for the Heart to go there as well, though a surprise appeared as she left the school gates. Serena was parked in front of school, looking over her car at the Heart, who felt slightly embarrassed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked surprised, getting a smile from Serena.

"Ambushing you." She joked. "After all, I'm going to be your wicked stepmother."

'Will' laughed uneasily and entered the car. Serena entered as well and started the car.

"So Will, where should I drop you off?" She asked gently.

'Will' noticed that Serena wanted her to accept her and she would have done so, if she'd been the real Will. But now she only smiled sweetly at her.

"Uhm, if you could drop me off at the Silver Dragon? I made an appointment with my friends."

Serena nodded and she drove them silently to the Silver Dragon. Never before had the Heart felt this uncomfortable. Not even when Will's mother had come to pick her up and told her to go dining with Collins. As Serena parked the car in front of the restaurant, 'Will' opened the door.

"Uhm, Will?"

The Heart cringed a bit. She'd hoped Serena wouldn't start a conversation.

"Yes?" She asked, turning around.

"Your father told me you loved swimming. Maybe we could go swimming one time?" Serena asked gently.

'Will' swallowed a bit awkwardly but then nodded.

"Sure, but not now. I'll call you, okay?" She said, mentally kicking herself.

She truly hoped her Keeper wouldn't mind it, but when she saw Serena's smile, she knew it was the best thing to do.

"Should I pick you up?" She then asked.

'Will' bit her lip. She had no clue when she would return to Earth.

"No, thanks." She replied. "But I stay here for dinner and I've got no clue till how late I'll stay here."

Serena nodded and waved at her as 'Will' left the car. She waved as well before running inside the building. As she closed the door she sighed a bit. This was getting more and more difficult by the day. When would she see her Keeper?

_**[A/N] End of part 2. Didn't expect Kadma to open her book on her history with Nerissa. And to think it is the Heart's fault that Nerissa went completely delusional! Well... Everyone needs a bit of attention. It doesn't matter if you're a boy, a girl or an at least thousand year old crystallized spirit. Though people tend to forget that with the last person. Anyway, let's see how we'll end this episode. What more twists will be revealed? See more in part 3.**_


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

_Hill, Zamballa_

The rest of the Guardians had returned and had found Cornelia and Kadma standing on top of the hill, together. Caleb was leaning against the tree and welcomed them with a nod. As they gave their greetings, the Earth Guardian and her predecessor stopped their green speaking. Cornelia greeted the girls as well with a smile, but when she crossed eyes with 'Will', her smile fell a bit. 'Will' nodded at Kadma, but Cornelia shook her head. But instead of seeing a disappointed look on the Heart's face, Cornelia saw a grin spreading. She looked confused, but the Heart merely shrugged, ending their nonverbal communication.

"What's the status?" 'Will' asked, looking at both Cornelia as Kadma.

"24 Hours of communing with the jungle, still have not uncovered Nerissa's latest lair." Kadma replied coolly.

"She can't just disappear into thin air, can she?" Hay Lin asked, almost sounding scared.

The others merely shrugged, making Hay Lin bit her lip in anxiety.

"Uhm...yeah. I've been thinking about that." Cornelia said, gaining the attention of the rest. "I mean, you've got this big palace and all...But where did those stones come from? Are there trees too?"

Kadma's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, the stones of our palace come from the only Quarry of Zamballa." She replied.

"Which would be the best place for Nerissa to hide, seeing that your green speaking doesn't work there!" Taranee said excitedly.

"Then let's not dawdle any longer." Kadma said as she raised the Heart of Zamballa. "Let's see if our hypothesis is correct and if so, get the Heart away from Nerissa."

Cornelia looked a bit worryingly at the Heart, but she only nodded in agreement. What was she thinking? Was she really planning on letting Kadma take that Heart? On letting Kadma take Elyon's powers? If she thought that Cornelia would accept that thought, than she had to think twice, because there was no way she would let that happen.

The group teletransported away from the hill and to the Quarry. They lay low and looked over the edge, seeing a big fire in the middle. The fire was surrounded by Ember, Tridart, Shagon, Khor and Nerissa. There was no sign of Zafyra, but according to Kadma, she was not in the jungle behind them.

"Well done Guardian." Kadma said, nodding at Cornelia. "Now we can end this charade once and for all."

_In the Quarry, Zamballa_

All they had to do was wait. It shouldn't take them too long to find the Quarry and then our trap will spring.  
Those were Nerissa's words and now all of the Knights were sitting around the fire, looking in it. Ember and Tridart both were almost at the limit of their patience, but Shagon kept glancing to one of the stone pillars in the Quarry. There, Zafyra was standing. She'd said she didn't feel like sitting around a campfire.

It wouldn't have bothered him if his own host hadn't been bothering him. His host was telling him Zafyra was changing...Again. Could she so easily be swayed by her host, or was there something else Shagon needed to know? But he knew better than to ask her now. The Guardians and Queen Kadma could arrive any moment now and he had to be vigilant.

Zafyra, on the other hand, was sitting behind the pillar with her hands in her hair. Her head was pounding again. Confusion was taking root and the worst part was that her host knew this. Heck, she'd known it the second she realized she'd complimented her on how protective she could be when it concerned her family! How was it possible that her host was being this persuasive? Nerissa would have done something against it, right? Then how could her host be this strong?

The rumbling and the breaking of stones around her made Zafyra look up from her thoughts. She saw how the bricks were falling from above, but none of them were actually near her. They all fell conveniently near Nerissa and the other Knight.

'I guess the Guardians have arrived.' She thought as she looked past the pillar.

Nerissa and Shagon were blocking the stones with their attacks, while Ember, Tridart and Khor moved out of the way. Taranee, Cornelia, Caleb and Kadma landed in the Quarry, where Taranee took control over the camp fire and sent it at Tridart. Tridart countered by making an ice shield, but it was clear to Zafyra that he wouldn't last really long.

Her eyes then went to Caleb. He was standing rather cockily in the Quarry, as if he'd directed the Guardians. Khor had seen him and thought it was an opportunity to knock him out, but Caleb reacted swiftly and pulled Khor over his head to the ground.

The sound of wind caught Zafyra's attention and she looked up, seeing that Ember had attacked the Water and Air Guardian who were still standing at the ridge of the Quarry. The Water Guardian blocked the attack while the Air Guardian used a powerful gust to slam her back into the Quarry. A small snigger escaped Zafyra as Ember cursed loudly.

"You must flee mistress! Your Knights will hold of the enemy!" Shagon said, which made Zafyra look back at the centre of the Quarry.

A sudden big stone fell there, surprising both Nerissa and Shagon. Zafyra saw Kadma floating threateningly above them, glaring at Nerissa.

"We end this now, Nerissa." Kadma said angrily.

Zafyra watched as Nerissa ran to the cave and Kadma followed her easily. Which meant that the trap had sprung and all they had to do was keeping the Guardians away. But before she could create a cave-in and block any entrance for the Guardians to aid Kadma, she saw the Earth Guardian following. For a second she wanted to shoot her, but she couldn't. And that doubt gave Cornelia enough time to enter the cave as well.

Zafyra sighed annoyed and shot above the cavern, making bricks fall down and blocking it.

"They're trapped inside the tunnel!" Caleb said concerned.

"Not for long they're not." 'Will' said grimly. "I knew this was a trap."

As she floated down to get into the range of teletransporting everyone, including Kadma, out of the Quarry, Cassidy suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked terribly startled and Zafyra even thought she saw a glimmer of guilt on the Heart's face.

"Heart! Look out!" Taranee said, snapping the Heart out of her shock.

She looked aside but it was already too late. Halinor had shot a dark sphere at her, which exploded around her and sucked all the oxygen around her out of the air. The Heart coughed and heaved, before she fell unconscious on the ground. The fire disappeared and Caleb hurried towards her, only for Tridart to intercept him. Ember cackled evilly and Zafyra got an eerie feeling.

_*She's going to attack the Heart!* Will said shocked. *You have to stop her!*_

_*How are you so sure?* Zafyra replied, though she too sounded concerned. *Nerissa strictly ordered to not harm the Heart.*_

_*And since when does Ember obey the rules?* Will countered. *Please! If you don't, I will!*_

Ember walked at the Heart, while Tridart, Cassidy, Halinor and Khor preoccupied the other enemies.

"Finally I can burn that face down." She sniggered as she created a fireball. "It's been irking me since day one."

"NO!" Taranee, Irma, Hay Lin and Caleb yelled as they pushed past their adversaries in an attempt to save the Heart.

But before Ember could fire her attack, lightning crashed into her from behind, blasting her away from the Heart. Everyone looked surprised to where the lightning had come from and their eyes and mouths opened wide. Because coming from behind the pillar was none other then...

"Will!" Taranee said, both happy as well as surprised.

Tears formed, not only in her eyes, but in the eyes of Hay Lin and Irma as well. A grin spread on their face and they were already wanting to rush at Will, when Caleb signalled them to stay where they were. He eyes Will suspiciously.

Will had smiled weakly at the sound of the voices of her friends, but her eyes had been on Ember the whole time. Ember pulled her head from the ground and glared behind her, also slightly surprised to see the real Keeper instead of Zafyra. She snarled at her but Will's hand crackled with lightning again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She said as she slowly deglamoured into her real form. "Nerissa clearly stated to not harm the Heart."

_*That's what I call teamwork.*_

_Both Zafyra and Will turned to see Matt standing behind them with a grin. Will grinned at him in return but Zafyra's hands crackled a bit._

_*What are you doing here?* She snarled at him._

_Matt held his hands up in defence._

_*Calm down. I was just checking something.* He said with a grin. *How did that feel? Working together with Will?*_

_*Just so you know, that went unwillingly on my part* Zafyra lied._

_Matt's face turned a bit disappointed, but Zafyra had to admit that she had liked it, the teamwork. Especially when it involved hitting Ember._

_*But it was agreeable.* She said, getting a grin from him as well as her host._

_*Perhaps we should do it more often?* Will asked hesitantly._

_*I don't work with liars.* Zafyra curtly and turning her back at Will._

_Will sighed annoyed and turned her back to Zafyra, which made Matt shake his head. The two women did not see how Shagon doomed up behind Matt and how he laid a hand on Matt's shoulder._

_*And?* He whispered._

_*They're not getting along like we do.* Matt whispered in return. *But they'll get there again, I'm sure.*_

Both Shagon and Zafyra noticed a sudden increase in their powers and looked at the Guardians. They all looked pissed at Zafyra, they're powers peaking around them.

"You made them angry." Shagon said, a laugh hidden in his voice. "They won't like us when they're angry."

Zafyra let out a laugh as well as she dodged an attack from Taranee.

"I'll rip your wings out for that!" She yelled furiously before throwing a cannonade of fireballs.

Both Shagon and Zafyra let out a snigger, but both of them also seemed to hold back when attacking the Guardians. Not that the other Knights noticed, for they also saw their chance for attacking them, but Caleb did. He was now watching over the Heart, while taking note of the battle. He knew the Guardians would lose if their anger kept controlling them, but why hadn't Shagon and Zafyra knocked them out already? There was something strange going on and he would relay it to the Heart, once she was awake.

_In the cavern, Zamballan quarry_

Cornelia had followed the long tunnel and knew she was getting close by when she heard the sound of fighting. She hurried along the tunnel and when she arrived, she saw Nerissa hanging unconsciously in two stone hands with the Heart of Meridian hanging in her right hand.

"Ah, Guardian." Kadma said while approaching Nerissa. "She will recover soon. Make sure she won't wake up before we've absorbed the Heart of Meridian."

Cornelia bit her lip. She couldn't let Kadma do this.

"Would that make you any better than her?"

Kadma stopped, her staff already positioned to absorb the Heart of Meridian, and turned her head to Cornelia. Cornelia took a deep breath.

"Nerissa thought too that she could handle multiple Hearts, right?" Cornelia said. "I mean, that's why she is on this whole 'conquer the universe' quest, right? So if you would absorb her Heart, you also think that you can handle multiple Hearts, right? What's your next step? Taking over Earth?"

Kadma glared at Cornelia, who now crossed her arms.

"You're but a child." Kadma said angrily before turning back to the Heart of Meridian and Nerissa. "You shall now see the difference between us and Nerissa."

Cornelia turned her back.

"Fine, but let me give you one piece of advice. I know Will would say it in this situation."

"And that would be?" Kadma sneered and looking back, thinking it would be a childish advice.

Cornelia looked Kadma straight into the eye.

"Listen to your heart."

Kadma's eyes widened. Right now, she did not just see the current Earth Guardian. No, she saw a glimmer of her own past. She saw Nerissa, of many years ago, looking straight at her. Just like the time when she wanted to kill the old murderer who'd attempted to kill her lover. Nerissa had turned away as well, even after Kadma had stated that there would be a difference between killing innocent people and murderer, and she'd said the same sentence.

Kadma's eyes went to Nerissa, who was now hanging in the stone hands, and to the crystal in her hand. Tears glistened in her eyes and she turned her head to the Earth Guardian.

"You're right." She said. "We should imprison her and free Elyon and nothing more..."

"NO!"

Both Cornelia and Kadma looked at Nerissa, but Kadma did experience some pain, seeing that Nerissa had taken hold of her braid and had pulled some hairs out of it.

Both Cornelia as well as Kadma took a step back as Nerissa broke out of the stone hands. Nerissa shot a blast of lightning at Kadma, catching her off guard and blasting her back. Cornelia shot some stones at Nerissa, but they were shot to rubble before they hit her.

"You!" Nerissa bellowed, glaring at Cornelia. "So many days of careful planning and you ruin it!"

Cornelia saw that Nerissa was preparing another attack. At the same time Kadma got up, rubbing her head in pain. A slight fear filled her. Kadma wasn't really reliable now that she was dizzy and Nerissa's lightning did indeed seem frightening. She would do everything for a miracle right now.

A deep rumbling sound echoed through the tunnel and Cornelia turned her head, her eyes widening in fear. A big torrent gushed out of the tunnel and filled the small room rapidly, taking her, Kadma and Nerissa in it. Panic clawed at Cornelia's heart, for she was no good at swimming. She only preferred water when she could skate on it, or when either Will or Irma were nearby to save her. But they weren't here.

Her head came above the water and she gasped loudly, sputtering a bit against the current. An arm suddenly clamped around her and Cornelia looked shocked to find Kadma keeping a grip on her and keeping her up. A new splashing sound followed and Irma's head appeared.

"Irma!" Cornelia said relieved.

"Come on!" Irma said. "Let's get the two of you out of here! It was a trap all along!"

Cornelia knew better than to point out that she'd known that as well. Irma grabbed her hand and Cornelia felt how Kadma aided her as well. Cornelia could not describe the gratitude she felt for the two of them as they made their way out of the tunnel. Once out of it, Cornelia nearly collapsed on the ground, but Kadma supported her.

Cornelia saw that Taranee and Hay Lin had created a giant fire vortex, which kept the Knights at a distance. She saw Caleb looking over the Heart, but as she took in everyone's facial expressions, she noticed that they all were enraged. She wondered what had happened before Irma broke her out of her thoughts.

"So, did you get the Heart?" She asked, glaring at Kadma.

Kadma said nothing but Cornelia shook her head.

"No, I managed to get her to listen to the Heart." She said, still gasping for air. "But we have to get out of here. Nerissa is not really happy with me."

Irma nodded.

"Should I call the others?" She asked.

"No need for that." Kadma said as she raised the Heart of Zamballa.

The light of teletransporting followed and the group disappeared from the Quarry.

_Palace, Zamballa_

The light reappeared and the group stood all in the throne room. Yan Lin and Ironwood came walking to them, Yan Lin looking slightly concerned.

"What happened?" She asked as Hay Lin rushed at her, crying.

"We...I tried to take the Heart of Meridian, but in the end I obliged to the Heart's wishes." Kadma said, using I for the first time with such a big group.

The Heart nodded approvingly at her, which made her smile for a bit.

"I was with Kadma." Cornelia added.

"Yes, she was of great help." Kadma said, making Cornelia grin in praise.

"But why are you crying, little one?" Yan Lin asked as she took Hay Lin gently out of their hug.

Hay Lin sobbed a bit and bit her lip, muttering incoherent words at her grandmother before digging back into her chest. Yan Lin looked for help with the other Guardians, but saw the tears in the eyes of Taranee and Irma as well. The Heart looked confused at them as Caleb too had an angry expression on his face.

"We saw Will." Caleb said angrily.

A collective gasp went through those who hadn't seen her and they looked at Caleb for more information.

"You saw my Keeper?" The Heart asked hopeful.

"No. Zafyra was glamoured like her." Irma growled angered, water dropping from her clenched fists.

"She prevented Ember from attacking the Heart who was unconscious at the time." Taranee added with a growl. "I truly thought it was Will... Until she said that Nerissa had stated that they were not allowed to hurt the Heart and transformed back."

Her hair had gotten fire and tears were also rolling down her cheeks. Cornelia, who was standing closest to Taranee, hugged her. The Heart hugged Irma, both letting their tears go.

"She'll be back." Cornelia said reassuringly. "I'm sure of it."

Kadma watched silently how the Guardians cried and decided then that she was at the wrong place.

"Ironwood." She said, turning to her old friend. "We... I mean, I think it's time for me to give up my duty as protector and Queen of Zamballa."

Ironwood looked surprised at her and even the Guardians looked up in surprise.

"But my Queen, why?" She asked.

"I was tempted by power and I see now that I'm needed somewhere else." Kadma said calmly.

She held up the Heart of Zamballa, waiting for Ironwood to accept the Heart. Ironwood hesitated, but she knew that Kadma would not change her mind. She sighed and accepted the Heart.

"You are welcome on Zamballa whenever you please." Ironwood said, getting a nod from Kadma.

"I thank you, but I think it would be better for us to leave Zamballa. For once we've left, Nerissa will have no reason to stay here any longer."

'Will' nodded and created a fold.

"You're right and may I say, it's good to see that you still know you've got a lot to learn." She said with a small grin.

Kadma huffed and walked through the fold, looking one time back.

"I know I'm going to miss it. Fare well, Ironwood." She said before stepping through.

The Guardians, Yan Lin and Caleb all voiced their thanks before stepping through the fold. Ironwood looked dreary as the fold closed and looked at the staff in her hands. Was she supposed to be the next ruler of Zamballa?

"Are they gone?"

Ironwood looked surprised and turned around. That voice belonged to the person who just left. It should be impossible for her to be here. But as Ironwood looked, she saw Kadma standing there, looking suspiciously around.

"Kadma?" She asked confused. "But I thought I saw you leave through the fold?"

Kadma shook her head.

"No, Nerissa caught us and let a copy of us return with the Guardians." Kadma said. "I barely managed to escape."

"Does that mean that the Guardians are in danger?" Ironwood asked concerned.

"No Ironwood. But you are." Kadma said seriously. "Nerissa planned to make you give her the Heart if you don't want the jungle to be burnt."

Ironwood gasped, seemingly scared.

"My Queen, can you stop her?" She asked.

"If you still deem us worthy of the Heart of Zamballa." Kadma replied.

For a second Kadma's eyes glazed over to a zombie-look, but Ironwood had not noticed it. She bowed in front of Kadma and held the Heart of Zamballa up for her to take.

"Of course." She said. "You are our rightful Queen."

The moment Kadma took the Heart of Zamballa, a teletransporting sound came behind her and Nerissa appeared, grinning evilly.

"If plan A and B won't work, you simply go to plan C." She said evilly. "Right _Kadma_?"

Kadma bowed in front of Nerissa, presenting her the Heart of Zamballa. Ironwood tried to stop her, but a lightning strike stopped her in her tracks. Nerissa merged the two Hearts together and took the staff in her hands.

"Behold! The Seal of Nerissa!" She cackled before teletransporting away with Kadma.

_Quarry, Zamballa_

The light and sound of teletransporting attracted the attention of the Knights. Nerissa appeared in front of them with Kadma and the new Heart.

"Mistress, how did you manage?" Shagon asked, both impressed as well as slightly concerned.

Nerissa missed the concerned tone and grinned as she caressed the staff.

"It's true that my plan went not completely according to what I'd planned, but even I deserve some luck. For when Kadma escaped me, I managed to obtain some of her hairs. And with that I could do something which I'm sure Zafyra will remember."

Zafyra shook her head, feeling terribly confused.

"I-" She said, but Nerissa already interrupted her.

"Though this time I did not let her wander around." Nerissa continued. "I immediately made her mine."

A silence filled the Quarry as the Knights tried to understand what she meant. They looked questioningly at Zafyra, who merely shrugged, not revealing that she and Will were racking their brains for a logical explanation.

"Take a rest. Tomorrow, we'll start our hunt for our final friend." Nerissa said before retreating to the cave.

_*Was that the royal we?* Will asked, actually getting a snigger from Zafyra._

_Will raised an eyebrow and looked at Zafyra. Zafyra shrugged._

_*It was funny, I'll admit to that.* She said grumpily._

_Will grinned. Perhaps they could rebuild their formerly crushed relationship._

_In front of Tony Vandom's apartment_

Taranee was actually in no mood to go, but she couldn't leave Blunk. And if Serena ended up to be Nerissa, they could jump the hateful hag when she didn't suspect it.

"Blunk P.I. never loses woman...Never loses...Blunk not sure he want to talk about it no more."

Taranee sighed, feeling more down than she thought she could.

"Don't tell me." She said darkly. "You lost her again. She vanished about an hour ago."

"Who? Serena?" Blunk asked confused. "No, look!"

He gave Taranee a pair of binoculars and Taranee looked at the window where Tony Vandom's apartment was. She saw Serena and Tony kissing, not exactly what she'd hoped for.

"So...She just got back?" Taranee asked, hoping to have a reason to go ballistic.

"Serena here whole time." Blunk said. "Cooking for Tony. She nice lady."

Taranee sighed and turned around.

"Thanks Blunk." She said before walking off.

Nerissa was not Serena and Taranee could only hope that she could erase the image of Will deglamouring into Zafyra from her mind.

_Silver Dragon, Heatherfield_

The group was silent as they all took a seat in the basement, either on Caleb's bed or on boxes. Taranee had already left, saying she'd rather went home now. Not that anyone could blame her.

"Kadma, what exactly happened? Didn't Nerissa stop you?" 'Will' asked, trying not to turn the attention on the fact that Zafyra had glamoured herself as Will.

"It happened as we told you." Kadma said calmly. "The only think I forgot to mention was that Nerissa did manage to grab some of my hairs, but I don't think that..."

The Heart had gotten up and looked extremely alarmed. Without a word she opened a fold and walked through it. The fold hadn't closed or she rushed out of it again, a branch following her. The fold closed and 'Will' looked pale around.

"Nerissa has the Heart of Zamballa." She said shocked.

"What?" The others chorused.

"How is that possible?" Kadma asked, looking pale as well. "I thought Ironwood had the Heart?"

"She had given it to you." 'Will' said darkly, making everyone look confused.

"What do you mean?" Irma asked. "Kadma was with us the whole time!"

'Will' looked darkly at everyone in the room, creating a heavy silence in the room. Finally she uttered one word, which made everyone gasp in shock.

"Altermere."

_**[A/N] End of this episode! :O Oh wow! So many twists! I can't believe it! I just made this episode my favourite! I am so proud of this. And now we're working towards the big climax. When will the Guardians realize that Zafyra **__**is**__** Will? Will Zafyra and will work together once more? And how did it happen Matt and Shagon got an understanding?**_

_**All and more will be revealed in "R is for Relentless REWRITTEN"!  
Now be good and review. Cause this took me some time.**_


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